Marine Protected Areas’ Powerful “Spillover Effect” Helps Fish and Fishers
New research shows that, if designed right, large marine preserves dramatically increase catch rates of migratory tuna as fish populations recover.
School of yellowfin tuna.
ISSF photo by Jeff Muir
Scientists have shown for the first time that protecting highly valuable but imperiled tuna in huge marine preserves pays off in the recovery of so many of the migratory fish that catch rates for some species increased 54% near a Hawaii reserve where fishing had been banned.
That’s due to what is called the “spillover effect,” when protected tuna populations grow so healthy that they expand beyond a marine protected area. Those reserves, however, must be carefully designed and tailored to the biology of the species being safeguarded, according to the researchers.